Civil service commission appoints Commissioner Scott Wilson to review deputy applications under WV code

The Berkeley County Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission voted to appoint Commissioner Scott Wilson to carry out investigations and preliminary reviews of deputy-sheriff applications under West Virginia Code §7-14-6. Commissioners debated whether individual commissioners could investigate applicants between meetings and whether investigation steps could be taken before a formal hearing. Commissioners cited WV Code §7-14-6 (powers and duties of the commission) as authorizing the commission to "make investigations either sitting as a body or through a single commissioner concerning all matters touching the enforcement and effective provisions of this article and the rules and regulations prescribed." Commissioners concluded that inquiries for additional information are permitted and that any final rejection would require an open meeting of the commission. After discussion about open-meeting limits and privacy concerns for applicants, a motion was made and seconded to appoint Scott Wilson as the commissioner authorized to perform those investigatory steps and to bring any recommendation for rejection back to the commission in session; commissioners voted in favor. The commission also discussed logistics: if an investigatory finding suggests rejection, a special open meeting may be scheduled so the full commission can make the formal decision. Commissioners emphasized keeping investigatory steps limited to fact-gathering and avoiding public airing of applicants'records until any formal action is taken. The appointment implements a practice commissioners said is consistent with the cited statute, while preserving that formal rejections must be decided in a public session.